Siphon device



F. B. ALLEN 2,682,356

June 29, 1954 SIPHON DEVICE Filed Dec. 26, 1951 12 H a w 3 o 14 0'- W 9@19 I 17 F e I l I u [I M I 91:

I I I, l l 4 I I f I 30 l I II I n I p 34 l f 1 L I =:& a; I WW INVENTORFRANK 5 ALL EN ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SIPHON DEVICE Frank B. Allen, Towaco, N. J., assignor to -0- TwoFire Equipment Company, Newark, N. J.

Application December 26, 1951, Serial No. 263,389

8 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a syphon device for use with acontainer of fluid under pressure adapted to be placed in any positionfor the discharge of its liquid content prior to the discharge of thevapor above the liquid.

The syphon device is particularly suitable for use in a fireextinguishing system either of the fixed type such as might be used inan airplane or army tank or for a portable extinguisher. In such uses itis important that the extinguisher discharge its liquid content prior tothe discharge of the vapor irrespective of the position in which theliquid container may be placed. This is necessary in the case of carbondioxide extinguishing agent inasmuch as if the vapor is firstdischarged, the pressure within the container will be lowered to such anextent that the remaining liquid is solidified. It is also importantthat the liquid of pressurized liquid extinguishers be discharged beforethe vapor as it is essential that the vapor remain to provide pressurefor the expulsion of the liquid.

Prior attempts have been made to solve the problem such as by utilizingball check valves. However, difficulty has been had in some instances inthat the balls have been found to jam or stick against their seatspreventing the proper action.

The present invention aims to overcome the difficulties anddisadvantages of prior devices by providing a syphon device for fluidunder pressure in which a valve means is utilized which incorporates asliding construction unaffected by the pressure of the discharge fluid.

In accordance with the invention this is accomplished by providing asyphon device utilizing the usual syphon tube for a guideway with atubular member adapted to slide under the action of gravity to coverports leading into the syphon tube from the vapor space and uncoverports leading into the syphon tube from the liquid space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a syphon device for fluidunder pressure which is simple in manufacture, efficient in operation,and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawing which shows byway of an example, an embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure I is a side view of a container and discharge valve for aportable fire extinguisher incorporating a syphon device in accordancewith the invention. In this figure the container is 2 broken away toshow the syphon device in position.

Figure II is a vertical sectional view of the syphon device shown inFigure I.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in Figure I a fireextinguisher comprising a container 2 having a squeeze grip typedischarge valve 3 to which is attached a syphon device 4.

The container 2 is made of a suitable material such as steel towithstand the pressure of the confined fire extinguishing agent whichmay be carbon dioxide, or a fluid of low vapor pressure such as carbontetrachloride pressurized by air, nitrogen, or the like. The container 2has a neck 5 with a threaded interior surface to receive a threadedinlet 6 of the discharge valve 3.

The discharge valve 3 is made with a carrying handle 9 having adischarge handle Ill positioned thereover so that the valve may be movedinto the discharge position by squeezing handle H3 towards handle 9. Aconventional recoil preventing safety discharge outlet I l is positionedat the top Of the discharge valve in fluid communica tion with theinterior of the container to safely relieve any excess pressure whichmight be developed. An outlet elbow I2 is provided on the side of thedischarge valve 3 for connection with a discharge hose and nozzle (notshown). A safety pin l4 extends through the discharge handle [0 and thebody of the discharge valve to prevent accidental discharge of thesystem, it being necessary to withdraw the safety pin I 4 before thefire extinguisher may be discharged. A short chain [5 is used to securethe safety pin I4 to the discharge nozzle 3.

The syphon device assembly 4 includes a syphon tube in two parts It andH connected by a ball connection joint 19. The upper part N5 of thesyphon tube is adapted to be received in the inlet 6 of the dischargehead 3 and secured by a press fit or by threaded engagement therewith orby any other suitable construction. The lower part [I of the syphon tubeextends practically to the bottom of the container and may be made witha closed lower end 20. Inlet means for the syphon tube are provided byopenings or ports 2| positioned adjacent the bottom thereof. Other inletopenings or ports 22 are positioned adjacent the upper end of the lowerpart H. A bulbous end 24 is provided for the lower part I1 adapted to bereceived in an enlarged lower end 25 of the upper part [6 to provide theball joint swivelling means IS.

A tubular valve member 30 is adapted to overlie the lower part I!preferably having an inner diameter somewhat larger than the outerdiameter of the lower part I! to provide a space for annular bearingmembers 3| and 32 for contact means between the tubular member and theexterior surface of the lower part I? to assure an easy sliding contactirrespective of possible unevenness in the matching surfaces of thesemembers. The tubular member 30 has inlet ports 34 at its lower end solocated that when the tubular member is in position on the lower part I!and the syphon tube is positioned with the ball joint means I!) upwardlythe ports 34 and 2| are in alignment. It should be noted that the capmember 2!) extends outwardly as indicated at 35 providing abutting meansfor the lowermost position of the tubular member 39. At the upper end ofthe tubular member 30 are positioned ports 36 so located with respect tothe lower portion I! of the syphon tube that when the container isinverted and the ball joint means I9 is positioned downwardly thetubular member 23 will slide under the action of gravity to abut againstthe enlarged portion 25 of the ball means l9 and the ports 36 and 22-will be in alignment.

As the fire extinguisher l is tipped to one side, the syphon tubeassembly 4 will swing to the positions indicated by the dotted lines inFigure 1. It has been found that any slight leakage between the closedports of the tubular member and the syphon tube is immaterial in so faras the operation of the extinguisher is concerned, such leakage being sosmall in proportion to the discharge through the syphon tube that it isnegligible.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference tospecific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that otherembodiments may be resorted to without departing from the invention, forexample, while the tubular member 30 has been illustrated as beingslideably positioned on the outer surface of the lower portion I! of thesyphon tube, an alternative construction might be used wherein thetubular member is positioned within the syphon tube in which case theannular bearing members 22 would be placed on the exterior of thetubular member 30. Likewise, in an alternative construction, the tubularmember 30 might be provided with a closed end movable therewith so as toopen and close the lower end of the syphon tube to provide inlet means.In addition, an alternative construction might be provided in which thetubular member 30 is split into upper and lower portions each slideableindependently of the other under the influence of gravity and adapted torespectively cover and uncover ports in the syphon tube in the mannerdescribed herein. Therefore, the form of the invention set out aboveshould be considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure todischarge liquid in all positions of the device comprising a syphon tubehaving an outlet at one end and having one inlet adjacent the outlet andhaving another inlet adjacent its other end, and a tubular member, thewall of the tubular member forming a gravity valve closing the upwardlypositioned inlet irrespective of the position of the container, thesyphon tube acting as a guideway for the tubular member.

2. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure todischarge liquid in all positions of the device comprising a syphon tubehaving an outlet at one end and having one inlet adjacent the outlet andhaving another inlet adjacent its other end, and a tubular member, thewall of the tubular member forming a gravity valve closing the upwardlypositioned inlet irrespective of the position of the container. thesyphon tube acting as a guideway for the tubular member, the wall of thetubularmemher having ports therein positioned so that the lowermostopening is in alignment with the lowermost inlet of the syphon tube andthe wall of the tubular member closes the uppermost inlet.

3. A syphon device for use with a container for fiuid under pressure todischarge liquid in all positions of the device comprising a syphon tubehaving an outlet at one end and having one inlet adjacent the outlet andhaving another inlet adjacent its other end, and a tubular, member, thewall of the tubular member forming a gravity valve, the outer surface ofthe syphon tube acting as a guideway for the slideable support of thetubular member, the tubular member wall having ports therein positionedso that the lowermost opening is in alignment with the lowermost inletof the syphon tube and the wall of the tubular member closes theuppermost inlet.

4. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure todischarge liquid comprising a syphon tube having an outlet at one endand having one inlet adjacent the outlet and having another inletadjacent its other end, and a tubular member forming a gravity valveguided by the syphon tube and automatically closing the uppermostpositioned inlet irrespective of the position of the container, thetubular member having one opening adjacent its end towards the outlet ofthe syphon tube and having another opening adjacent its other endwhereby when the syphon tube outlet is downwardly positioned the inletadjacent the outlet of the syphon tube and the corresponding opening ofthe tubular member are in alignment while the wall of the tubular membercloses the other inlet of the syphon tube, while when the syphon tubeoutlet is upwardly positioned, the inlet adjacent the outlet of thesyphon tube is closed by the wall of the tubular member and the otherinlet of the syphon tube is in alignment with the other opening in thetubular member.

5. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure ofgas and adapted to discharge liquid in all positions of the devicecomprising a syphon tube having an outlet at one end thereof and havingtwo inlets, one inlet positioned adjacent the outlet, the other inletpositioned at the other end of the syphon tube, and a tubular memberreciprocably supported by the syphon tube, the tubular member havinginlet openings adjacent each end thereof so located that when the outletis positioned upwardly the inlets at the lower ends of the tubularmember and syphon tube are in alignment and when the outlet ispositioned downwardly the inlets at the normally upper ends of thetubular member and syphon tube are in alignment, the tubular membermoving from one position to another under the action of gravity.

6. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure ofgas and adapted to discharge liquid in all positions of the devicecomprising a syphon tube having an outlet at one end thereof and havingtwo inlets, one inlet positioned adjacent the outlet, the other inletpositioned at the other end of the syphon tube,

and a tubular member reciprocably supported by the syphon tube, thetubular member having inlet openings adjacent each end thereof solocated that when the outlet is positioned upwardly the inlets at thelower ends of the tubular member and syphon tube are in alignment andthe inlet of the syphon tube at the outlet end is closed by the wall ofthe tubular member, and when the outlet is positioned downwardly theinlets at the normally upper ends of the tubular member and. syphon tubeare in alignment and the inlet of the syphon tube away from the outletend is closed by the wall of the tubular member, the tubular membermoving from one position to another under the action of gravity.

7-. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure ofgas and adapted to discharge liquid in all positions of the devicecomprising a syphon tube having an outlet at one end thereof and havingtwo inlets, one inlet positioned adjacent the outlet, the other inletpositioned at the other end of the syphon tube, stop means, and atubular member reciprocably supported by the outside of the syphon tube,the tubular member having inlet openings adjacent each end thereof solocated that when the outlet is positioned upwardly the lower end of thetubular member abuts against the stop means and the inlets at the lowerends of the tubular member and syphon tube are in alignment, and whenthe outlet is positioned downwardly the inlets at the normally upperends of the tubular member and syphon tube are in alignment, the tubularmember moving from one position to another under the action of gravity.

8. A syphon device for use with a container for fluid under pressure ofgas and adapted to discharge liquid in all positions of the devicecomprising a syphon tube having an outlet at one end thereof and havingtwo inlets, one inlet positioned adjacent the outlet, the other inletpositioned at the other end of the syphon tube,

stop means, a tubular member reciprocably supported by the outside ofthe syphon tube, the tubular member having inlet openings adjacent eachend thereof so located that when the outlet is positioned upwardly thelower end of the tubular member abuts against the stop means and theinlets at the lower ends of the tubular member and syphon tube are inalignment, and when the outlet is positioned downwardly the inlets atthe normally upper ends of the tubular member and syphon tube are inalignment, and annular bearing members interposed between the syphontube and the tubular member to facilitate the sliding of one withrespect to the other, the tubular member moving from one position toanother under the action of gravity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 963,633 Newland July 5, 1910 1,460,208 Mohn June 26, 19232,394,345 Werner Feb. 5, 1946 2,432,261 Thompson Dec. 9, 1947 2,569,975Conc Oct, 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,040 GreatBritain Dec. 17, 1912

